The second view is that of those who say that He performs acts that subsist in His essence, by His choice and will, as He has described Himself in the Quran: rising towards heaven and over the Throne, coming and arriving, folding up the heavens in His right hand, and other such acts. This is the view of the leading scholars of hadith, many theologians, and those who agree with them among the followers of Abū Hanīfa, Mālik, al-Shāfiʿī, and Ahmad. They say that the preference given to some spatial loci over others through His acts that subsist in His essence occurs by His will and power.

Thus, this objection has been answered according to the views of both groups.

[Fifth ground]

It may be said: Either one says that a spatial locus exists, or one does not say that it is nonexistent.

If it is said to be nonexistent, it does not follow that anything existent was with Allah from eternity.

If it is said to exist, then its existence from eternity is either impossible or possible. If it is impossible, the first alternative necessarily holds: spatial loci are identical in their entire nature, for within sheer nonexistence nothing is distinguishable from anything else. In that case, the assignment to a particular locus, which requires a determining factor, occurs either through His power and will, according to Muslims and the majority of mankind, or through His essence, according to those who allow something analogous to this. If its existence from eternity is possible, there is nothing objectionable in it. Thus, the denial of the necessary consequence is invalid.

[Sixth ground]

It may be said: The division mentioned is not exhaustive. Spatial loci are either identical or different; and in either case, they are either finite or infinite. If